Sectional track.



G.. A. OLSON.

SEUTIONAL TRACK.

APPLIOATION FILED Am. 13,.1910.

Patented Dec, 20, 1910.

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GUSTAV A. OLSON, OF ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTA.

sncrIoNAL TRACK.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

App1ication filed April 13, 1910. Serial No. 555,288.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV A. OLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albert Lea, in the county of Freeborn and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sectional Tracks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved elevated track and support therefor of the type especially adapted for use in connection with litter carriers and, to the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing portions of a track and track support designed in accordance with my invention, some parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a transverse section of the track in connection with one of the track supports and the truck wheel and portion of the truck frame of a litter carrier; and, Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 01* v of Fig. 2, showing the parts on an enlarged scale.

This improved track is made of a multiplicity of flat metal bars 1, the ends of which are overlapped at 2. These overlapped ends 2 are laterally offset from the main body portions of the rails and the upper edges of these offset end portions are reversely beveled so as to form reduced upper edge portions 3 that are in true line with the upper edges of the body portions of the rail bars 1. Otherwise stated, the wheel engaged upper edge portion of the rail is kept straight or of constant width although the lower portions of said rail are at intervals doubled in thickness by the lapping ends 2... This feature of construction is in itself important. The overlapped ends 2 at their central portions are formed with elongated or oval perforations 4E and the bodies of the said rails, at suitable intermediate points, are formed with similar elongated perforations 5.

The rail made up of a multiplicity of bars 1 is suspended from suitable overhead supports 6 by hanger brackets 7, the lower ends of which are bent laterally and provided with horizontally projecting headed studs 8. The heads of these studs 8 are elongated or formed so that they may be passed through the perforations 5 only when turned lengthwise thereof. The necks of the studs 8 that are to be passed through the coincident perforations 4: of the overlapped rail ends 2 are of course longer than the necks of the studs 8 that are to be passed through the intermediate perforations.

In assembling the rail structure, the hanger brackets 7 must be turned into approximately horizontal positions for the purpose of inserting the elongated heads 8 through the perforations 4 and 5; and this being done the said hanger brackets 7 are turned into upright positions and their upper ends are secured by bolts or otherwise to the overhead supports. This detachably but securely interlocks the rail sections to the hangers. As otherwise stated, the rails cannot become separated from the hangers as long as the hangers are secured in their upright or operative positions. The connections between the rail and the hanger brackets are, therefore, made without the use of bolts or rivets and there are no parts that can accidentally become loose. To give increased rigidity at the rail joints, the short nutted bolts 9 are preferably passed through the overlapping ends 2 one on each side of the perforations 4.

The improved rail structure above described, while especially adapted for use in connection with litter carriers is nevertheless capable of much more general use.

In Fig. 3, the numeral 10 indicates a grooved wheel placed upon the. rail 1 and journaled to the upper end of a frame bracket 11.

What I claim is:

1. A rail bar having elongated perforations, in combination with hanger brackets having headed studs with elongated heads, adapted to be passed through said elongated perforations, only when said hanger brackets are turned into inoperative positions, and arranged to interlock said rail and hanger brackets, when the latter are turned into operative positions.

2. The combination with a multiplicity of rail bars having overlapped ends and the said overlapped ends with coincident elongated perforations, of hanger brackets having headed studs With elongated heads, adapted to be passed through said coincident perforations, when said brackets are turned into an inoperative position, and to lock the overlapped ends of said rail bars together from, when said hanger brackets are turned into an operative position.

8. The combination with rail bars having overlapped ends formed with coincident elongated perforations, and provided on opposite sides of said perforations with connecting bolts, of a hanger bracket having a headed stud with an elongated head, adapted 15 to be, inserted through the said co-incident perforations, when said brackets are turned into an inoperative position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV A. OLSON.

\Vitnesses:

NORMAN E. PETERSON, ELIoNoRE HANSON. 

